Individual budgets should not spell end of direct payments, campaigner warns

Direct payments should not be written off due to the proposals
for individualised budgets, delegates at a Community Care
conference heard today, writes Amy
Taylor.

Chief executive of the National Centre for Independent Living Nick
Danagher told the adult green paper conference there was a danger
individualised budgets could lessen choice for people using
services as they were held by the local authority.

“With individualised budgets there is a risk that they will
be seen as the easy option because it’s likely that they will
remain under the control of care managers rather than users,”
said Danagher.

He added that it was likely that there would be more restriction on
what could be bought with individual budgets compared to direct
payments.

The conference was also organised by the Association of Directors
of Social Services and Pavilion.